Seafood and history share the spotlight — Weihai, Shandong, dances with the ocean

▲ Happiness Gate, a landmark in downtown Weihai.

Reported and photographed by Chen Shichang, journalist in Shandong

On the last day of 2013, Taiwan launched a direct flight route to Weihai, Shandong. This coastal city, located at the easternmost part of mainland China, was historically known asWeihaiweiand has long been an important military base. It is a city full of history; it is also extremely clean and tidy, produces a wide variety of seafood, and is home to warm-hearted locals and has a strong Korean influence. Compared to well-known inland cities in Shandong such as Jinan and Mount Tai, Weihai showcases the distinctly different maritime character of “coastal Shandong.”

▲ The Sino-Japanese War Museum on Liugong Island in Weihai.

It is widely known that Qingdao is the most famous coastal city in Shandong. Every summer, thousands of tourists flock to Qingdao to escape the heat. However, Hu Junmin, head of the Weihai Tourism Bureau, said, “Do you know where Qingdao people go for vacation? Weihai’s beaches are better than Qingdao’s. Qingdao is just more famous. Qingdao residents actually come to Weihai for their holidays.”

Weihai’s neat urban environment is also very impressive. You hardly see anyone littering on the streets. Although many people are seen smoking, cigarette butts are not carelessly discarded. There is no spitting or public urination, nor any stray dog droppings.

▲ A beautiful scene of wind turbines and sunset in the suburbs of Weihai (left). A group of swans from the north wintering at Yandengjiao.

Weihai is the Chinese mainland city closest to South Korea and is nicknamed “Little Korea.” Its climate and environment are very similar to those of Korea, which lies at a similar latitude. A tour guide from Weihai explained that out of every 10 pedestrians on the streets of Weihai, one or two are Korean — they’re easy to spot, with fair skin and relatively short stature.

▲ A richly filled seafood hotpot in Weihai (left). The over 300-ton Xianggu Jade Statue atop Xiangugu.

Weihai’s “Korean fever” is no less intense than in Taiwan. The city has seven Korean malls, three of them located in the urban area. But to be honest, not everything sold in these Korean goods malls is imported from Korea — labor costs in Korea are high, after all. The main buyers are Chinese tourists. However, the imitation goods can’t be called low quality; they are generally acceptable to mainland consumers — at worst, fake but not shoddy.

The whole of Weihai feels like a living history of the Qing Dynasty’s war against Japan. The most famous event is the First Sino-Japanese War, after which the Qing government signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, ceding Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. To understand this chapter of history, Weihai is the place to go — history is everywhere here.

Bordered by sea on three sides, Weihai produces a wide variety of fish and shellfish seafood, all of excellent quality. The renowned sea cucumber, for example, can sell for as much as RMB 5,000 (NTD 25,000) per 500 grams. There is even a local saying:“If you want to die young, send him to Weihai to dry seaweed.” This phrase, aimed at outsiders, means that the volume of seafood produced in Weihai is so huge that even workers can’t take it anymore.

▲ Weihai has two zoos, both home to lively and adorable pandas (left). Experience outdoor hot spring bathing in the snow at Tangbo Hot Springs.